FLINT: Government failing to make sure crime doesn’t pay

MPs lambasted the Home Office today over its failure to clamp down on the proceeds of crime.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee, of which Don Valley MP Caroline Flint is a member, published a damning report on the use of Confiscation Orders, the use of which has fallen in recent years.

“Recovering the proceeds of crime is a critical part of our justice system. Done effectively it can disrupt and deter criminal activity.

“Instead, the Home Office has racked up a debt of £1.9 billion, and expects to recover only a tenth of that money. With the use of Confiscation Orders falling in spite of the number of convictions going up, this sends a clear message to criminals and to victims - that crime pays.

Victims of crime, as well as taxpayers in Doncaster and elsewhere want to know that justice is being served. Preventing convicted criminals from profiting from their actions is an essential part of cracking down on illegal activities.

We are severely disappointed by the Department’s performance and concerned by its lack of a plan to use Confiscation Orders more effectively.”

This report follows a previous investigation by the Committee in 2014, which first raised concerns about the Home Office’s Confiscation Orders. The Committee today rejected the Home Office’s claim that it had met 5 of its 6 previous recommendations. It demands that, by September, the Home Office should set out what its objectives are for a more successful confiscation strategy.